Flurry — Simplicity Meets Usability and Design

Today’s Twitter apps are either one of two things: usable or beautiful. We rarely see a perfect mesh of both, yet Flurry manages to blend the beauties of design and usability into one solid, functional app.

Usually, we see apps that do only one thing exceptionally well. Tweetbot, for example, is a very “unique” looking app, but I personally don’t think its design is gorgeous. I’ve grown accustomed to its UI solely because it effectively melds with all of its other components, creating a cohesive user experience. The tweet display complements the navigation bar, the icon matches the gimmick; it’s well-balanced. The problem here is that Tapbot’s cadre of robotic cartoon apps isn’t something I want to see constantly. The robot gimmick fits with Pastebot and Calcbot since both apps have one single purpose (besides being perfect examples of breaking the HIG), but it’s not something I want to stare at for more than a few minutes. I prefer a cleaner design in apps that I use daily.

Flurry manages to avoid this problem. Flurry is beautifully crafted with a style that doesn’t overpower the familiar feeling of Twitter. The app is aptly named Flurry, which reminds me of a brisk, delicate snowfall. The app even embellishes this motif with its glacier blue birdhouse icon. On top of that, the UI is refreshing and gives off a tranquil sense — much like snow. The gimmick is less of a gimmick and more of a theme, one that works well, to say the least.

Even though Flurry is brand new, we still must address its shortcomings. Flurry does indeed manage to bring a fresh, enticing design to the world of Twitter apps, but it falls short of some things. One drawback is the ability to edit settings. The list of available settings is incredibly limited when compared to more full-fledged apps like Tweetbot or even more basic apps such as Twitterrific and Twitter for iOS. Things like font size, tweet syncing, and notifications are missing. Customization options such as hiding trends, easily blocking spam accounts, and editing your profile information are also absent.

While many basic elements are missing, I’ve been told that Twitter’s new policy updates are the reason Flurry 1.0 was released so hastily. Aaron Ash, the developer of the app, is no amateur by any stretch, so waiting for app updates and new features shouldn’t be a test of our patience. He has worked on tweaks for jailbroken phones that have delivered OS X features to iOS, and his creativity in doing so is evident. The addition of new features to Flurry is undoubtedly possible within his skill set; we just have to wait for them to be properly incorporated. Overall, the current version of Flurry is extremely useful, and while it may lack some features, its future is incredibly bright. New features are being implemented as I write this, and in the future, more should be unveiled that will ultimately sell the app without customer hesitation.

Flurry brings something back to Twitter that Tweetbot has left in the dust: simplicity. Even though Tweetbot is mashing so many features into one bundle with a chaotic design, the app is viewed as the best Twitter client because it’s able to do so many things that no client before it has, but it lacks the simplicity that makes Twitter what it is. While the newer features of Tweetbot are absent in Flurry, their addition won’t be far away, and their implementation will not cloud the user’s experience. Its simple design and simple usage, oddly enough, make Flurry stand out in a crowd of clutter.

We may no longer be accustomed to simplicity encompassing design in regards to Twitter apps, but we’re no stranger to becoming addicted to things that are able to do both so seamlessly. Flurry does just that; at the end of the day, Flurry allows you to tweet and read tweets. Twitter was founded upon that simple structure. Unless you rely on push notifications, altering your account, or changing simple settings to fit your needs, you should support Flurry. Even if you depend on these things, I still recommend this app. At a price of $4.99, it seems steep, but the work and future of this app alone are worth it. The things you want the developer to add today could very well show up tomorrow.

Flurry grabs your attention because something that was once lost in other Twitter apps is now found: simplicity. That simplicity is bundled beautifully in Flurry. It may be released without those “killer” features, but I give it a solid month before it becomes the best the App Store has to offer. While we wait for a future version to show itself, we can steal a glimpse of what’s in store. Flurry is new, fresh, exciting, and clean. I’m exceedingly excited to see it evolve, and having the ability to use the app while it grows is beyond lovely. We may be forced to wait for Flurry to grow, but we won’t be waiting long, nor will we be left in the dust while doing so. Flurry can be purchased on the App Store for $4.99 or…

You can enter to win one of five promo codes for Flurry by retweeting or favoriting the message below! We’ll be choosing winners via Twitter on October 19th at 3:00 PM EDT.

About Shawn Wilkins

An enthusiastic writer who values quality over quantity. The abundance of posts shouldn't make the site, but rather, the quality of them. Aiming for perfection is the goal and anything less isn't acceptable. Long walks on the beach are accepted, however.